What Emden Digital does

Emden Digital GmbH, operating under the keptn.net brand, is a municipal telecommunications provider headquartered in Emden, Germany, and wholly owned by Stadtwerke Emden (the city's municipal utility). The company builds and operates a 100% Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) network, certified as an 'Echte Glasfaserkommune', delivering gigabit-speed internet, telephony, and IPTV (resold waipu.tv) to residential and business customers in the municipalities of Emden and Hinte in Lower Saxony. Its self-financed network expansion model avoids government subsidies and lets it deploy into underserved pockets that larger national operators overlook.

The product portfolio is structured as a triple-play stack. Residential subscribers choose between three FTTH tariffs — Matrose (150/50 Mbps at €39.95/month), Bootsmann (300/100 Mbps at €49.95/month), and Kapitän (600/200 Mbps at €59.95/month) — plus a shorter 12-month echtinternet plan, with FRITZ!Box routers included or upgradable. Optional add-ons include landline, German mobile, and international flatrates (€4.95–€15.90/month), waipu.tv streaming (€7.49–€14.99/month) with an optional €79.99 4K stick, and a €49 one-time activation fee. Business customers (Gewerbekunden) access dedicated symmetric connections up to 1 Gbit/s with optional fixed IPv4 addresses and up to 300 voice channels, supported by a named field-sales contact (Helmut Emkes).

The business model is purely subscription-recurring on 24-month minimum terms with a one-time setup fee, distributed via direct online ordering on keptn.net for residential customers and field sales for enterprise customers. The MeinProvider mobile app provides self-service troubleshooting. No external investors are involved — the company is funded and governed by the municipal parent, which constrains both growth ambitions and capital risk relative to venture-backed competitors.

Name

Emden Digital

Legal name

Emden Digital GmbH

Website

https://keptn.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Emden Digital (keptn.net) is a municipal FTTH telecom operator owned by Stadtwerke Emden, delivering fiber internet, telephony, and waipu.tv IPTV to residential and business customers in the German municipalities of Emden and Hinte via self-financed network build-out.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fiber Internet Telecommunications

NAICS

Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Operators (HDAIACAB), Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC)

Keywords

• Fiber internet services
• FTTH broadband
• IPTV streaming
• Telephony services
• Municipal telecom

Headquarters

HQ city

Emden

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Internet Subscription Services: Monthly recurring subscription fees from residential internet plans (Matrose, Bootsmann, Kapitän) and business fiber connections. Includes flat-rate internet access without time or volume limits. Revenue is subscription-based recurring with minimum contract terms of 24 months.
2. TV Services (waipu.tv Partnership): Monthly subscription fees for TV streaming packages (waipu.tv Comfort at €7.49/month and waipu.tv Perfect Plus at €14.99/month). Hardware sales include waipu.tv 4K Stick at €79.99 one-time purchase.
3. Telephony Services: Optional add-on flatrates for landline (€4.95/month), mobile (€9.90/month), and international calls. Additional revenue from number porting beyond two numbers at €1.95/month per extra number.
4. Router Rental and Hardware: FRITZ!Box routers included with most plans. FRITZ!Box 7530 included with Bootsmann, FRITZ!Box 7590 AX upgrade available for €4.95-6.95/month or as optional purchase. Router rental/sale generates hardware revenue.
5. Setup and Activation Fees: One-time connection fee (Bereitstellungsentgelt) of €49.00 per installation. Installation service available for additional products at extra cost. Free home connection (normally €1,990) during promotional pre-marketing phases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Emden Digital operates the keptn.net brand as a local telecommunications provider delivering FTTH (Fiber to the Home) fiber optic internet, IPTV (waipu.tv), and landline/mobile telephony services to residential and business customers in the Emden and Hinte municipalities of Lower Saxony, Germany. The company builds and operates its own self-financed 100% fiber-to-the-home network and sells subscription-based internet tariffs bundled with FRITZ!Box routers and a complimentary provider-switching service.

Product overview

Emden Digital operates the keptn.net brand as a local telecommunications provider in Emden and Hinte, Germany, offering a unified triple-play service portfolio centered on FTTH (Fiber to the Home) fiber internet infrastructure. The core offering consists of three residential internet tariffs (Matrose at 150 Mbit/s for €39.95/month, Bootsmann at 300 Mbit/s for €49.95/month, and Kapitän at 600 Mbit/s for €59.95/month), each bundled with a FRITZ!Box router and provider change support. A flexible echtinternet tariff with a shorter 12-month commitment is also available. TV services are delivered via the waipu.tv IPTV platform in two tiers (Comfort at €7.49/month and Perfect Plus at €14.99/month), complemented by optional waipu.tv 4K Stick hardware. Voice services include optional flatrate add-ons for German landline (€4.95/month), German mobile (€9.90/month), and international destinations (€15.90/month). A MeinProvider self-service mobile app assists with troubleshooting. Business services offer symmetric speeds up to 1,000 Mbit/s with optional IPv4 addresses and voice channels. The company differentiates through self-funded fiber network expansion and local customer support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Matrose Entry-level residential fiber internet tariff offering 150 Mbit/s download and 50 Mbit/s upload speeds with internet flat rate for €39.95/month. FRITZ!Box 7530 included.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free home connection worth €1,990 during promotional periods for new customers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stadtwerke EmdencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent municipal utility company. Emden Digital operates under the Stadtwerke Emden umbrella, leveraging municipal brand trust, infrastructure, and operational synergies. Listed alongside other Stadtwerke subsidiaries (Wirtschaftsbetriebe Emden, Stadtverkehr Emden, Flugplatz Emden) in company materials.
• waipu.tv (Exaring AG)coreTechnology or IntegrationTV streaming service partnership providing over 200 TV channels with HD quality, recording capabilities, and streaming functionality. Emden Digital resells waipu.tv packages (Comfort at €7.49/month, Perfect Plus at €14.99/month) as bundled offering. waipu.tv Stick hardware sold separately for €79.99.
• AVM (FRITZ!Box)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerHardware partnership for routers. FRITZ!Box 7530 included with Bootsmann tariff, FRITZ!Box 7590 AX included with Kapitän tariff or available as upgrade. Special pre-installed software required for network operation. AVM knowledge database linked for customer support.
• Bundesnetzagentur (Federal Network Agency)minorOthersGerman telecommunications regulatory body that sets technical standards, oversees provider compliance, manages number allocation, and provides speed measurement tools for consumers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NetCologne: Regional fiber ISP serving the Cologne metropolitan area as a municipal telecom subsidiary. Comparable in operating model: regional fiber ISP with city/municipal roots offering FTTH internet plus TV and voice to residential and business customers within a defined geography.
• DNS:NET: Berlin/Brandenburg-based FTTH provider targeting underserved municipalities and business parks. Comparable in targeting underserved/peripheral geographies for fiber expansion and in offering both residential and B2B fiber services.
• M-net: Municipal/regional fiber ISP owned by municipal utilities and telecom players, serving Bavaria with FTTH and B2B services. Comparable as a regional telecom with municipal utility heritage, offering triple-play (internet/TV/telephony) to residential and business customers in defined geographies.
• Deutsche Glasfaser: Germany's largest pure-play FTTH provider focused on regional and underserved markets using a similar eigenwirtschaftlich (self-financed) build model. Directly comparable business model, target customer (residential and B2B in smaller municipalities), and go-to-market approach (pre-marketing, free home connection during promotional phases).
• htp: Regional fiber and broadband provider serving the Hannover region and parts of Lower Saxony. Comparable as a regional telecom operating in the same German state with similar FTTH and DSL product portfolios targeted at residential and business customers.
• wilhelm.tel: Municipal fiber ISP operating as a Stadtwerke (municipal utility) subsidiary in Pinneberg/Schleswig-Holstein. Highly comparable as a small municipal FTTH provider offering triple-play services with local customer service focus.
• EWE TEL: Telecom arm of EWE Group, a regional utility providing FTTH and broadband across northwest Germany including Lower Saxony. Closely comparable on geography (overlapping service areas in NW Germany) and on operating model as a utility-affiliated regional fiber provider.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Telekom: Germany's national incumbent telecom and largest FTTH/FTTB builder. Overlaps as a competing fiber provider with national reach, deeper capital, and bundled mobile/TV offerings that Emden Digital's narrow regional footprint cannot fully match.
• Vodafone Germany: National cable and fiber provider offering gigabit internet, TV, and mobile bundles across Germany. Competes in overlapping geographies and uses cable+HFC+FTTH hybrid network strategy that is less future-proof than Emden Digital's pure FTTH positioning.
• 1&1 Versatel: Business-focused fiber provider (subsidiary of United Internet) offering dedicated lines and symmetric bandwidth to enterprise customers nationwide. Comparable in B2B fiber capabilities (symmetric speeds, IPv4, voice channels) but operates nationally without the local municipal utility positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Emden Digital